Fireworks
by stoner-blake
Summary: There's a fireworks display going on for Chinese New Years, and guess who's trying to take advantage of the situation?


A flash of light spread high above the rooftops of Vale, tendrils of glittering golden sparkles spreading out quickly as a sound like a whip's crack echoed through the air after the firework. The Chinese New Year celebrations for the year of the Horse were well under way, another loud whistle squealing through the air as another flare that was soon to be colour and sparks was sent up into the sky, this time a blaze of red taking over as the golden sparkles flittered away. Nearly everyone in the town had turned out for the event, and the 'ooh's and 'ah's that came in unison from the gathered crowds outside could be almost heard over the fireworks themselves.

Still, that didn't mean everyone was there. Some people, such as a figure in a white suit that was running across the rooftops of Vale, chose to see the night as an opportunity to help themselves to what others had left unattended. Such as, in this case, a certain Dust shop that had just about been to close up when a man with red hair and wearing a black bowler's hat had turned up with a group of thugs following.

Too bad there had been others who were out either looking for trouble to get involved with, or just had spectacular luck when it came to winding up in the right place and the right time for it. Which would be the certain girlish silhouette, the only things about it standing out against the night sky being their red cloak and a large scythe, that was chasing after the first figure on the roofs.

Black shoes skidded across cement as Torchwick found himself at a dead end, the next building in front of him being much too far to jump across. He could try, but the criminal felt that maybe it would be better to not go splat against the street below, as would likely happen if he did attempt the jump.

"Tch!" A displeased sound came from gritted teeth, which soon relaxed, being swiftly replaced by a mocking smile as Roman turned around to face the girl who had been able to catch up now, presenting a relaxed posture despite the fact that he knew he was cornered. A blaze of pink tinged the scene as a small series of flares lit the sky up with the colour. "Out past your bedtime again, Red?" He called out congenially.

That earned him a glare from narrowed silver eyes, Ruby's grip on her scythe tightening. The smile on his face twitched a bit in response. Maybe she wasn't trying to retort the remark, but her body language was enough for him to tell that he had riled her up some. And the more he could do that, the more he could manipulate the situation to give himself a route of escape. He hadn't exactly been planning to end the night being thrown into a cell, after all.

With Ruby on the other end of the roof, and thinking that maybe there was enough distance in between them for the man to pull the same trick he had done the first time they had met, Roman went to raise his cane up towards 'Red'.

His smile was gone as he found the blade at the tip of the scythe was pressed up against his throat before the cane was even halfway up. His eyes widened somewhat, not having expected the girl to seemingly blur at her prior spot and then appear out of thin air right in front of him, with only the blade to separate them.

"I don't know why you keep robbing Dust shops, but it ends now." The dark haired girl demanded, ready to use Crescent Rose without hesitation, or at least that's what the furrowed eyebrows and thin mouth were promising. This earned a blink of dark green eyes, needing a moment to think on what to do now. Torchwick was not fully sure that Ruby would be able to go as far as killing him if he made a move, but he wasn't going to risk it. The cane lowered slowly back to the ground.

Ruminating on what options were left to him, a light bulb went off in his head, a wicked little idea beginning to form and take shape. Though it had slipped off his face before, his lips twitched back up into a smirk. Another boom rocked through the air, this time a burst of blue painting the night sky.

"Don't you want to know first before you take me in, why only Dust shops, Red?" He asked playfully. One eyebrow above silver eyes rose up, Ruby wary, and wondering what he was doing. It was hard to miss the spark of curiosity in those eyes though, the girl did question why the need for so much Dust. And that was exactly what he needed.

Subtly, slowly, he leaned his head down across the blade, taking care not to make the metal slice through his neck as he looked down at the younger girl with a teasing smirk adorning his face, taunting her as best as he could. "You do, don't you? And considering how big the plan for what we've got is..." He let out a low whistle, as if in awe of what was envisioned to come. The spark in the girl's eyes grew, giving a small shove with Crescent Rose to push him back into being upright, inadvertently bringing herself a step closer to the wanted criminal.

"What is it? Tell me!" The teen interrogated him as he briefly winced from the sharp metal pressing into him. By now, just about all that was between them was a blade and a few inches of height.

Ruby blinked, unsure of what was going on for a moment. There was something warm... and soft, pressed up against her lips. It didn't feel bad, but actually, sort of nice. That was, until comprehension dawned as she realised that Roman had ducked his head down enough to catch her lips in a kiss. Grey eyes went wide as they could manage, stunned for the handful of seconds that Torchwick needed to flick his thumb against the handle of his cane, revealing a small button that he swiftly pressed.

A sharp bang slammed against the girl's eardrums, her hearing dimming as a flare of white light filled up her vision. Forced to close her eyes to stop the burning of her retinas, Ruby was unable to do anything as she heard footsteps swiftly run away from her. Nothing but to swing the scythe in the general direction they were heading.

* * *

A few minutes later, and Roman was grinning broadly with a certain kind of cocky stride to him as he entered a warehouse, empty save for a few White Fang working on moving some crates around. Sure, he no longer had his bowler's hat with him, having left that behind when it had gotten skewered by the scythe in the girl's last wild swing, but he considered that a fair trade for what had happened.

That one moment of Red's eyes catching up to what he had done would be a memory he would keep for quite a while. Just bringing it up in his mind's eye was enough to make the grin on his face widen even more. Maybe it had even been her first kiss. The girl did seem young enough that she could still be yet to start getting crushes on boys. That thought made it even better, Roman enjoying every single second of the mark he had probably left on her mind.

But he had work to do, and couldn't afford to keep gloating forever on the brilliant stratagem. Least, not for now. Not while there were still the Schnee Dust crates to be directed into vans and more heists to be planned for the future. Spying an idling pair of workers that were chatting to each other, he was irritated by their laziness, a frown replacing the grin as the criminal was quick to make a show of his authority.

"Hey! I thought I told you animals that we needed to pick up the pace when I left! What are you doing?" He yelled angrily at them, causing them to hurry back to their task at hand, the pair each hauling a heavy crate out to where a van was waiting for them.

With a tired sigh, Torchwick realised his happy mood had soured swiftly. The sound of another firework boom far off into the city brought a flash of inspiration to his mind. Maybe he'd try the kiss trick again if he ran into the girl once more. It had worked so well the first time, why not use it again?

Although he wasn't interested in kids, he had to admit, it had been so satisfying to feel warm skin against his. The oh so slight shiver that had gone through her when her brain caught up. Seeing the beginnings of bright pink blossom across her cheeks just before he fired the flash bang to the ground. And that slight hint of what had to have been vanilla clinging to her.

And just like that, the grin was back.


End file.
